Cabling ducts have been known for many years. In recent years domestic and business use of electrical and telephone cabling has steadily grown to accommodate, for instance, increasing telecommunications and networking applications. Recent years have also seen the increased deployment of cables employing new materials such as fibre optics. At many sites, cabling has to be altered after installation to keep pace with the expanding and ever-changing demands. Further alterations to cabling may also be needed after installation for fault repairs.
In order to inspect or alter cables laid underground in conventional ducts, it is first necessary to dig up the entire duct and break the duct to gain access to the cabling. When the inspection or alterations are completed, the cabling must be threaded into new ducts before being reburied underground. This process is thus time-consuming, labour-intensive and expensive.
Two-piece ducts are already known wherein a cover is removable from a duct channel thereby facilitating cable access. However such two-piece ducts require that the cover be manufactured as a separate component from the duct channel and afterwards assembled by connecting the duct channel to the cover.